Fastener or staple



May 29. 1928.

T; A. BRIGGS FASTENER OR STAPLE Original Filed Dec. 15, 1924 Patented May 29, 1928.

UNITEDZSTATES' PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. BRIGGS; OI PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO BOSTON WIRE srrrcnnn conmnr, or ronrmnn,

MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

FASTENER R STLPLE Original application filed December 15,

This application is a division of In prior application for patent, Serial umber 755,932, filed December 15, 1924. y

The present invention relates to an improved form of fastener or staple for use in hand stapling machines and wire-stitching machines. a

A principal object of the invention is to provide a fastener or staple which ma be W packaged in. more con'ipactfform and landled more conveniently for packing and shipment and in then'iachine which applies the staples to the. work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a form of fastener or staple which may be assembled inmultiple in nested relation to conserve space and to maintain the staples in alinement to facilitate their delivery to the stapling-mechanism of the machine which applies them to the work.

The present improved form of fastener orstaple is particularly adapted for use with the method of packaging staples and the improved package or cartridge shown and described in my prior application above referred to. i y

The invention isfully described in the following specification and illustratedby the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of my improved fastener or staple;

Fig.2 is a similar View showing a slight modification in the form of the fastener or staple;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing another form of fastener or staple embodying the present improvement.

The present invention consists in eneral in roviding as an article of manu vacture an commerce a partly formed fastener or staple having its legs extending in divergent relation from its central head or cross site parallel relation.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the staple 1924;812:1511 No. 755,832. Divided and this application filed Kay 18,

.1927. Serial No. 192,2!1.

bar to adapt a plurality of the staples to be nested one within another with their legs in contiguous overlapping relation.

The staples may be packed and shipped in this form and applied to the stapling or wirestitching machine in a packageor cartridge to be fed to the drivingand setting mechanism thereof, the staplirig-mechanism acting to bend the legs of the staples into substantially parallel relation during the operation of applying them to the work.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, my improved fastener or staple may consist of a length of fiat wire or a strip of sheetanetal having a straight cross-bar or head 2 with opposite legs 3 extending downwardly therefrom. The usual form of staple of this type has its legs 3 projecting at right-angles to the head or cross-bar 2 and disposed in oppo- In the present improved form of staple the legs 3, 3. project in inclined relation to the head or cross bar 2 and preferabl they are disposed at an obtuse angle Wit 1 respect to the under side of the head. In most cases the ends of. the legs 3 ofthe staplesare provided with sharp points 4 which may be formed by cutting off the wire or strip at a sharp angle as shownin Fi 41., while in other cases the ends of the Figs are beveled or chamfercd as shown in Fig. 2 to provide chisel points.

As described in my prior application above referred to, staples of the present form Ina be packaged forshipment and for use in tie staplingor wire-stitching machines by assembling them in nested relation, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the present drawings. In accordance with one feature of the invention disclosed in my prior application, the staples are arranged in contiguous nested relation along a strip of suitable material, such as paper, fiber or metal and the edges of the strip are bent or folded to overlap the legs of the staples. The staples may be retained in the holder or container 5 of this form by crimping over the ends of the folded portions 6 as shown at 7 in Fig. 3. At the opposite end of the holder or contained 5 a detent ear or lug 8 is cut from the material and bent around to engage the endmost staple in the package.

As explained in my prior application from which this case is divided, the packages or cartridges of the form described provide for greater convenience in packing the staples for shipment and in inserting a supply of the packaged staples as a charge for the machine. That is to say, the nested staples may be nsedin a magazine on the machine, or a series of the packages or cartridges may be employed as a clip for furnishing a continuous supply of staples tothe operating mechanism of the machine. The packages or cartridges may be disposed in inclined or vertical position as illustrated in Fig. 3 to deliver the staples from the bottom thereof in the manner of achute or magazine; or a series of the packages or cartridges may be stacked as shown in Fig. 5 and the'staples delivered successively from the ends thereof with the holders or containers ejected from the machine when emptied.

Fig. 6 illustrates a form of staple similar to that shown in Fig. 1 except that it is constructed of round wire instead of fiat wire or sheet stock.

In each instance the form of staple as herein illustrated adapts it for compact packing and convenient arrangement for handling and feeding in then'iachine. As the staple is applied to the work its legs are bent down to stand at substantially right-angles to its cross-bar or head and in parallel spaced apart relation to adapt the ends of the legs to be driven 'down through the work. After the legs of the staple are driven through the work, which may consist of several thicknesses of paper, cardboard or other material to be fastened together, the legs of the staple are bent over to clinch them against the under side of the work in the manner as shown in Fig. 4.

Heretotore in the art ithas been the usual practice to package fasteners or staples of the present type by arranging them in straddled relation along a wooden stick or a channeled strip of metal. Such a form of staple stick or holder has considerable bulk and weight and cannot be packed compactly for shipment. Furthermore, such staple sticks or holders of previously known form are awkward and unwieldly to handle in applying the staples to the machines in which they are used. lVith m present improved form of fastener or stap e a maximum numher or quantity of the articles may be assembled and packed in a minimum space to facilitate handling and conserve space in storing and shipping. Moreover, the nesting of the staples in the package or cartridge provides for, maintaining them in proper alinement so that they may be fed to the mechanism of the machine which applies them to the work without chance of their becoming misalined or skewed out of position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a wire staple having a head or'cross-bar with legs at either endthereof initially bent to stand at obtuse angles with respect thereto to adapt the staple to he nested in contiguous relation with other staples of corresponding shape and to have its legs subsequently bent at substantially right-an les to its central cross-bar to project there rom in parallel re lation so that it maybe driven into the work.

2. As a new article of commerce, a staple constructed from a length of wire initially bent to form opposite legs projecting at 0btuse angles from the end of a central crossbar whereby to provide for nesting it in contiguous relation with other staples of corresponding shape to form a compact package, said staple adapted to have its legs subsequently bent to stand'at right-angles to its cross-bar and projecting therefrom in parallel relation whereby it may be driven into the work.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto atfix my signature.

THOMAS A. BRIGGS 

